Reception
In the Anime Preview Guide on Anime News Network, responses to the series premiere were mixed. Some reviewers found its pace engaging for its differences from previous similar anime such as Love Live! or previous BanG Dream! installments, with Christopher Farris describing it as "impressively melancholic", while James Beckett disliked the narrative's tone and found it dull in comparison, and Richard Eisenbeis felt that the plot was difficult to follow. The characters, particularly Tomori, were generally praised. Despite his dislike of the episode's pacing, Beckett found the show's 3D animation and visual style to be strong, while Nicholas Dupree and Rebecca Silverman had mixed feelings about the look of the series.[52] The series would win an award at the 2023 Reddit Anime Awards on the r/anime subreddit for the "Anime of the Year" prize, from the award jury.[53][54] It was voted as the Best Anime of 2023 on 5channel.[55] Taki Shiina's line "This person doesn't know anything! I'm blocking them!" (「こいつ何も分かってない！ブロックしてやる！」) was nominated for the Grand Prize at the 2023 Anime Buzzword Award.[56]
Farris expressed eagerness to see how It's MyGO!!!!! would fit into the larger franchise prior to the show's premiere,[57] and later reviewed the entire series for the publication.[58] He praised Yuniko Ayana's writing, the characters, the animation and visual direction, and the show's emotional weight and dramatic tonal and narrative differences from past BanG Dream! installments, calling the series "the most wildly ambitious" entry of the franchise, and credited it with reinvigorating his enthusiasm as a BanG Dream! fan. He would later select it as his favorite of the summer 2023 season, and ultimately of 2023 overall, and said that he was eagerly anticipating the sequel. He also named the song Hekitenbansou (碧天伴走) as one of the best anime songs of 2023, citing its use in episode 7 to show Tomori's character development.[59][60] Despite his praise, Farris felt that the final episode was an "awkwardly abrupt conclusion" and noted that some scenes can "look too washed-out or too dark."[58]
Steve Jones, who also selected it as his favorite of the year, had similar praises.[60] Jones particularly emphasized the perceived yuri subtext of the series, attributing its presence to Yuniko Ayana's history with the genre in works such as Flip Flappers. In particular, Jones highlighted the "bold and almost experimental swerve" of the first-person perspective in which the third episode is told,[61] and the scene in the eighth episode where Soyo and Sakiko argue as his favorite anime scene of the year, calling it "indistinguishable from a fight between two exes."[59] He additionally named Anon his favorite character of the year, praising the character for her emotional depth, uniqueness, and interesting development throughout the show.[62]
Nick Creamer wrote on the Crunchyroll blog that while it may be hard for some fans to find the series, it differs from the dramedy of Love Live!, rising to become one of the "most beloved productions" of 2023, and predicted it would become beloved in 2025, noting the series' mix of "tortured personal drama, rich character arcs, and...heart-on-sleeve musical performances." He also argued that the series writer Yuniko Ayana provides the backbone and personality of the series, constructing a "rich web of emotional hangups and personal connections" while paying attention to character acting and visual framing, engaging in melodramatic psychological drama which makes it a standout series within "the music drama ecosystem."[63]
Yota Tokuda of Real Sound stressed that the storyline of It's MyGO!!!!! was against the tide from previous idol anime. He pointed out the portrayal of failure and split of the band members happened after a successful live performance in episode 7, embodying the "rock ethos" that overturning the established norms of music anime. He also praised the performance in episode 10, suggesting "they seem to be attempting resistance by creating a new kind of circularity, breaking free from the tragic cycle.[64] Anime Feminist reviewer Brock K also pointed out that the anime's handling of frictions is different from the common practice of other works in this genre, and praised the more dramatic tone and style for the writing allowed all of the characters to move beyond their archetypes and be fully-fleshed out real people with flaws and all.[21]
Chinese digital newspaper The Paper praised the use of 3DCG animation in It's MyGO!!!!! and believed the modeling, character actions and behaviors, and lighting and shadows in the anime surpass the pursuit of realism in traditional hand-drawn animation, presenting unique emotional expression and visual appeal. The Paper particularly praised the uses of the first-person narrative of the 3rd episode and the fixed camera angle switching in the 7th episode, citing that "at its core, it is a subjectivity born of creative intent, artfully concealed within an ethical framework defined by two distinct forms of exclusion and limitation…there are both precise calculations and the revelation of the traces of the scriptwriter's self-observation." Despite this, The Paper also criticizes the overreliance on this technique for damaging the sensibility of the scenes and the authenticity of their characters.[65]
In December 2024, a newborn king penguin from Xpark, an aquarium in Taiwan, was officially named "Tomorin", a nickname of Tomori Takamatsu, after an online name voting event. Xpark contacted the Japanese producers of the anime and their Japanese management team to ensure the event met expectations and could proceed smoothly.[66]
